... But I Can Get My Site Done for Less

Common mistakes by amateurs include:

• Slow-to-load pages. We have seen some pages by well-intended hobbyists that are so long they take 50–60 seconds to load on a dial-up connection, despite multiple studies indicating that most potential readers will be long gone before the page is loaded.
• Inconsistent file and folder naming, resulting in folders overflowing with outdated material (e.g., past board member photos) and broken links.
• Lack of standard web page search engine optimization features such as meta tags, properly formatted HTML headings, and link words.
• Page layouts that appear significantly different on various browser versions due to inferior coding.
• Long pages that are frustrating to print. Customers don’t want to waste twelve pieces of paper on one paragraph of information.

As professional web developers, we get paid to attend to those little details that denote quality. These include:

• Pages that are formatted so that users can easily scan and print just the information they want. We charge for the time, not by the page. It does not take us any longer to break up the information into separate pages.
• Behind-the-scenes file organization kept clean and in a system such that from year to year outdated files and graphics can easily be discarded.
• Consistent site formatting. We often see colors not quite matched up (e.g., not the right shade of blue or red), incorrect fonts, and alignment problems.
• Load time. The size of pages is still an important consideration in today’s market, with many people on high-bandwidth connections and some using dialup. We optimize graphics and placement of design elements to keep the loading time to within suggested guidelines of web organizations.
• Page titles, wording, and coding for optimal search engine ranking.
• We can even train clients on how to update their own site. We lay out the site so that someone without a web development background can update it. Our site file organization helps users correctly locate and place documents as well as recognize outdated files and graphics.
• Database management. A database is only as good as the information it contains.
• Privacy. Your customers must feel that their information is being protected. We help our clients qualify for “stamps of approval” that indicate strict adherence to site privacy procedures and policies.
• Routine site management. Amateur web developers often create a site, then let it languish. We work with the client to keep content fresh, such as by posting the client’s monthly newsletters.
• Ease of navigation. If a potential customer doesn’t understand your site layout, you could lose business. We discern the paths your target audience takes through your site to be completely sure those frequently sought items are easy to find.

Back to FAQs